Martin Luther King, Jr--the Comic Book

On the day we honor the memory of Martin Luther King, Jr, the gang at Atomic Kommie Comics™ thought it only appropriate to present this item, the first comic book dramatizing his historic efforts.
From the website's intro to the comic...
Most sane thinkers consider MLK to be an important and historic larger-than-life icon, but how did that happen?
Especially given the marginalized press coverage of blacks in the 50s, how was his message galvanized among southern minorities and then spread as a single statement beyond the black community -- and how was it focused so specifically to such seemingly ignorable or boring local incidents as one black woman's refusal to give up a bus seat and a following small-town bus boycott, as well as the concept of Passive Resistance?
Without any need for hyperbole, this comic book is one of the reasons.


Produced by the Fellowship of the Reconciliation and sent very surreptitiously throughout the South (it was dangerous for many to own a copy), then translated, re-drawn, and distributed once again throughout the entire SOUTHERN CONTINENT through Mexico, into Central and then South America, this comic tells the story that established the myth of Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks at the time that it mattered, mere months after news events occurred.
Intended for adults, but shown in comic book format for the largest possible distribution and audience and instruction.

It was also produced as a comic because more adult seeming publications and newspapers were often destroyed by white businessmen and other violent types bent on continuing segregation's grip on the South.
But that does not mean people found distributing copies of this comic were not given their fair share of beatings and harassment, nor does it mean thousands of copies were not often destroyed.
Why? This comic is and was dangerously honest.
Featuring the Klan (lynching, bombs, burning crosses), Jim Crow laws, and the entire concept of Nonviolent Protest.
This pamphlet offered advice and instructions on how to use passive resistance and massive non-violent resistance against segregation, just as these ideas were fresh --and it also established a clear connection of MLK to Gandhi, a public connection that continues on to today.


A copy of this comic is held in the Smithsonian and many Civil Rights leaders recognize this as one of the most important AND PERSUASIVE items of the 50s in establishing or explaining their cause to the world, as well as giving many black youths the courage and direction to hold their own political protests.
Many notable sit-ins and demonstrations link to this comic book getting into the right hands - and it did get around, literally devoured by black college students at the time.

We're DELIGHTED to offer you not just the American version of this comic but also the SPANISH edition, of which maybe two or three copies are known to exist.
After extensive effort and search, we were able to find a copy in Uruguay.
Not joking. Completely redrawn and translated, click back and forth to compare art, some of the differences between the two are great.


Ever wonder how much influence and power a small press or self-produced item can have?
This is one of the best examples you'll ever see.

Fantastic Femmes--Aria Prasad

Back in September, we brought you an entry about a kool (and frightening) new on-line game called The Curfew.
Among the reasons for checking it out was: "the captivating Aria Prasad (a future Fantastic Femme) as Aisha: the Immigrant! Yeah, I'm a sucker for a pretty face."
Well, after several months of searching for info on the talented and beautiful actress, I came up with; some interesting theatre work, and her sole film-tv credit: an ep of MI-5 (aka Spooks) VideoClip HERE! That's it!
We want to see MORE of her!

Genre appearances include...

MI-5 aka Spooks "Episode 8.7" (Yasmin)

The Curfew (The Immigrant)

Check out...

Aria's Acting Resume Page

One of her theatre appearances in Wasted

The History of The Green Hornet!

Since The Green Hornet first appeared on radio in 1936, he's made the transition to motion pictures, comics and television.
Very little has been written about the masked marvel and what has been recorded in magazine articles and encyclopedias prior to this publication never explored the character as deeply... or accurately.

A complete history of the radio series from the creation to conception sketches, reprints from production files to the untold adventures, biographic details of the cast and the characters they played (including Mike Axford, Kato, Gunnigan, Lenore Case, Linda Travis, Ed Lowry, Clicker Binney, Commissioner Higgins, etc.) and background information is all provided under one cover.
Also included are details of the two cliffhanger serials produced by Universal in the early forties, the unaired 1952 television pilot, the long-running popularity of the comic books and the William Dozier television series (1966-67) starring Van Williams and Bruce Lee including a complete episode guide documenting every episode including unproduced scripts and plot ideas.
I highly recommend it.

Happy (Belated) Anniversary, Batman!

With all the hubbub about the new Green Hornet film, it totally slipped my mind that January 12th marked the 45th anniversary of the debut of the pop-art oriented Batman tv series, without which, there wouldn't have been a Green Hornet series to "inspire" Seth Rogan's flick!
Here's a special treat for the pop art graphics aficionados among you...

The iconic LIFE magazine cover featuring Adam West...

...and the pic it was flopped and cropped from!

The Night They Kept Britt Reid from Seeing THE GREEN HORNET

Last night, I went to see The Green Hornet.
Last night, I didn't see The Green Hornet!
I was coming directly from a meeting with a client, so I had my laptop with me.
When time came to go in, the audience was told that we would have to check our cellphones, BlackBerrys, laptops, etc.
Now, my cellphone doesn't even have a camera. (I'm waiting for Verizon's iPhone.)
My laptop does have a camera, but it's on the inside lid, above the screen. The only way I could photograph the movie is if I turned the laptop around and pointed the keyboard and screen at the movie screen!
So, taking them from me was roughly the same as frisking a toddler at an airport security gate. It's stupid and useless, but you do it to maintain the appearance of political correctness.
(In addition, the film is already on several filesharing sites!)
Nonetheless, I was still prepared to surrender the items for the duration of the film.
While checking the items, I asked the guard about liability, specifically what happened if the items were lost or stolen while in his custody.
His response was a casual "Don't worry about it."
I pressed the matter, as both the phone and laptop contained proprietary material.
"Look, it's a free screening. Do you want to go in or not?"
To avoid holding up the line, I asked to speak to his supervisor, who also could offer no warranty on loss or damage.
Quite frankly, I had seen enough situations where, without such assurances, things had happened, and the responsible party wasn't held liable.
To safeguard my material, I had no choice but to not enter the screening.

NOTE: both the guard and his boss were cordial. VERY professional. NO raised voices, NO angry words exchanged.
And, in the future, I'll avoid bringing my laptop to screenings.
I'll hit a matinee this weekend, and let you know what I think on Monday.